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The academic ceremony held on 8 November 2024 to celebrate the anniversary of the Estonian University of Life Sciences honored an honorary doctor, awarded diplomas to new PhDs, and presented other significant distinctions. The "Achievement of the Year" award went to the university's contribution to organizing the 69th World Ploughing Championships. The "Alumnus of the Year" award was given to Taavi Võsa, a researcher at the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge, who also made a significant contribution to the successful hosting of the ploughing championships.

Rector Ülle Jaakma noted that the past year had been diverse and rich in events and achievements for the university. "It is a great honor to recognize members of our university community and partners who have stood out throughout the year. The university must continue to advocate for solutions that are important to society, and together, we can achieve this," said Rector Jaakma.

This year’s honorary doctor was Professor Marian Kazda from the University of Ulm, an internationally renowned plant ecology researcher. Professor Kazda gave an academic lecture to the guests on the environment and society.

During the ceremony, 23 young researchers received their doctoral diplomas after defending their theses in the past academic year. The new doctors are: Raul Sampaio de Lima, Hassan Yusuf Sulaiman, Triin Rilanto, Viive Sarv, Angela Koort, Argo Orumaa, Nikki Sjulander, Kristi Kerner, Silva Vilumets, Collins Aimuaenvbosa Agho, Mart Hovi, Monika Nõmm, Fiona Nevzati, Age Kärssin, Triin Tedersoo, Andres Sats, Magnus Lauringson, Upendra Bhele, Tana Wuyun, Margareta Novian Cahyanti, Priit Bernotas, Keshav Nagpal, and Marina Loch. You can find more about their theses and summaries on the university's website.

The academic ceremony also included the presentation of awards. For the second time, the Estonian University of Life Sciences awarded the "Green Step" Prize to recognize individuals whose actions support green development. The recipient of this year's Green Step Prize was Andres Rõigas, a faculty member at the university, for his involvement in an international sustainable development education project. Andres has led the university's collaboration with Viljandi Gymnasium and Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany. As a result of this project, guidelines were developed on how to sustainably organize festivals in urban areas, taking into account the goals of sustainable development. The project's primary target group was young people, and through various activities, it has helped 600 young people gain new knowledge about environmental awareness in event management and broaden their worldviews.

With the Senate’s approval, the university’s Medal was awarded to Juhani Püttsepp, the Director of the School of Natural Sciences. Juhani has led the School of Natural Sciences since 2008. Through the school, he teaches students from high schools and junior high schools how to observe and document nature, guiding them towards independent research and observation. His extensive knowledge and ability to share it have contributed to a significant increase in interest in the university's School of Natural Sciences.

Another recipient of the Service Medal was Leho Luigujõe, Estonia's leading expert on grass snakes and swans. Much of Leho’s work focuses on studying the migration of Arctic waterfowl and compiling related datasets. He has conducted extensive international cooperation in researching these species/groups and has published scientific articles, as well as developed national action plans for these species.

The "Lecturer of the Year" award was given to Merike Ints, a lecturer in agricultural economics, as chosen by the students. The "Additional Education Provider of the Year" award, directed at community-oriented lifelong learning, was presented to Associate Professor Terje Elias.

The "Achievement of the Year" award went to all the university's staff, students, and volunteers who helped organize the 69th World Ploughing Championships. Special thanks were given to the main organizers from the university: Toomas Tõrra, Laura Kriisa, and Aret Vooremäe.

At the suggestion of the Alumni Association Board, the Alumnus of the Year for 2024 is Taavi Võsa, a researcher at the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge, who also played a key role in organizing the World Ploughing Championships.

In the Science Popularization Competition, the first prize was awarded to Associate Professor Jürgen Aosaar for his series of popular science articles on forestry. These articles help make scientific research in forestry accessible to a wider audience and balance the societal debate on forests. The second prize went to the collective from the Department of Plant Health for their efforts in popularizing research results and for their higher education textbook "Agricultural Entomology." Their activities have aimed at bringing science and knowledge closer to various target groups, including students, teachers, entrepreneurs, and the broader public in Tartu.

The Applied Science Award was presented to Associate Professor Ragnar Leming for his project "Increasing the Efficiency of Pig Farming." The project focused on feeding trials and analysis at the production level, so the results could be directly applied by pig farmers. Replacing imported soy with locally produced rapeseed cake is an excellent application that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The "Interdisciplinary Cooperation Project" award went to the initiative group behind the creation of the cross-disciplinary circular bioeconomy bachelor’s program. The group includes Ina Järve, head of the Academic Affairs Department, Katrin Kepp, head of the Bioeconomy Development Center, Katrin Kaldre, program director, and Ants-Hannes Viira, head of the Agricultural Research Department at the Estonian Rural Economy Research Centre.

The Joosep Tootsi Foundation and Artur Nilson Foundation scholarships were awarded to outstanding students. See the full list of scholarships from the Estonian-language news.